GIS Data

This category contains introductory text about GIS data such as types of error in GIS datasets, types of GIS data (raster and vector), and metadata.

A pan sharpened Landsat 8 satellite image of Mount Jefferson in Oregon on the right with the unsharpened natural color image on the left. Images: NASA, public domain,

Pan Sharpening in GIS

Caitlin Dempsey

Enhance spatial detail in multispectral images with pan sharpening. Learn how this GIS technique combines data for sharper, more detailed satellite imagery.

A white sign with black writing indicating it's a witness post.

Witness Posts

Caitlin Dempsey

Witness posts are signs that alert visitors to the presence of a nearby survey marker.

A map showing in orange the range of steller's jay and in blue the range of blue jay over a gray shaded relief map of the United States.

Types of GIS Data Explored: Vector and Raster

Caitlin Dempsey

Explore the key differences between GIS vector and raster data, and how each type supports diverse spatial analysis tasks.

This Tools Helps You Figure Out Which Satellite Bands to Use for Remote Sensing

Caitlin Dempsey

The USGS developed the Spectral Characteristics Viewer to let users view how different Earth observation satellite instruments can be used for their remote sensing needs.  

Is this a ridge or a canyon? Relief inversion plays tricks on the brain with this image of the Colorado River in Arizona. Photo: NASA

Relief Inversion

Caitlin Dempsey

Telling the difference between a canyon and a mountain on aerial or satellite imagery can sometimes be tricky due to an optical illusion known as relief inversion.

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